The Search for Haruko
by OtakuSama9
Summary: Four years after the events of FLCL, Naota Nandaba finally figures out how to take the Vespa into space. The search is on.
1. Vespa

Well Heyas!

As you can see, the name's OtakuSama9, formerly the King of Blades, for those familiar with my ultra crappy Love Hina fan-fics. But I digress. After a year or so to tune my skills, and with a new series to flaunt my love to, I think we may have something pretty spiffy! Don't you? No? Well, so what. I'm gonna waste server space anyway, 'cause everyone needs more Fooly Cooly (both literally and figuratively).

Disclaimer: Peaches and Oranges and FLCL are not my property,

but I'm writing anyway, because I want to.

The Search for Haruko

#1-A

Vespa

"Nothing amazing happens here...

...Only the everyday, mundane stuff..." Naota Nandaba

I had searched for a long time...but I never found her. After Haruko gave me her Vespa and left, life continued on in Mabase, albeit with a massive reconstruction effort and more press than I cared for. Ninamori and I sort of stuck it out together. Mamimi went to do her photography... We lost touch. But I guess that's good. She needed to go somewhere new, where the people were nicer and there was something to keep her mind occupied. I sometimes see her in the paper. She's done real well for herself.

But anyway, after MM left, I spent most of my time learning to ride Haruko's Vespa. And playing the guitar. I didn't go to school all that much. Just when Ninamori asked me to. She's a nice girl. But she's not Haruko. Though I guess she's all I have left to remind me of what happened. The Vespa, guitar, and even Canti are gone. It all started sometime in the Spring.

In the desolate wastes that dot Mabase, a young Naota, 16, rides Haruko's Vespa off of jumps, increasing the size each time. It seems as though he is trying to reach the stars. And that is, undoubtably, his mission. As he angles the jump one last time, and by now the thick wood is nearing a 90 degree angle, he looks towards the night sky.

"You left me Haruko... but I'll find you...I promise..."

He hops onto the Vespa, and guns the motor. As he speeds forward, the sky seems to blur. 10 seconds later, he's in the air. Soaring through the heavens on a Hyper-Space Vespa. Of course, this trip was short lived as he soon crashed down to Earth. But, sometimes the view from the bottom is the best kind.

"What the...ow...hell is this?" Naota chokes, spying something on the underside of the Vespa.

--Hyper Drive-- said the label, and near it was a small switch, like a light switch.

Naota, both confused, dazed, and curious, flicked the switch.

The Vespa's underside glowed a faint blue, and it seemed to hover just slightly off the ground. Dazed with wonder and lack of blood, Naota stood up. Smiling in the cheery way that half-dead people who have just found out how stupid they are smile, he hopped aboard the HSV. It was then that he heard a voice behind him.

Ninamori.

"So, your gonna leave now...I guess." She was dressed in a slightly snug turtleneck sweater, a dull green in color. She wore a dark blue skirt that went just below her knees. Her long black hair billowed in the wind, and Naota caught a smell from her he had never encountered before. Her hands were behind her back and she gazed at Naota with a caring and aloof kindness as well as something else.

Something Naota didn't quite understand.

"Yeah... I got it to work...er...would you...like to...come with me?" Naota asked, avoiding eye contact. It's not easy to look at people you were about to leave.

"You weren't gonna say goodbye, were you?" Ninamori asked, sounding more than a little hurt.

Naota stared at his feet. His name meant honesty, and he lived more or less by that name.

"No...I wasn't..."

Ninamori looked at him for a moment, then ran off. Two small slips of paper drifted to the ground.

Picking them up, Naota realised his mistake.

--Peaches and Oranges--

--Tonight only!--

--Mabase Music Center--

At first it startled him. He had figured out that Ninamori was interested in him. But he had always thought she had realised he wasn't interested and moved on. It was now apparent that she hadn't.

Of course, it didn't change his mind... he had planned this for six years, practicing riding that Vespa. All that time he dreamed only of Haruko. He couldn't stop now. Slinging both his and Haruko's guitar over his shoulder, he rode off into the night, into the sky...

"I'm coming Haruko..."

--End--

I understand that this was abysmally short, but I need to see some feedback to know if I've gotten anyone too OOC. However, please keep in mind that the characters have aged 4 years. The next chapter isgoing to show what's happened in all that time. I'm not sure if Haruko gave Naota the Vespa in the Anime, but she did in the manga. Also, Kamon may or may not have died in the Anime. Actually, I haven't seen the Anime. But I plan to buy it soon! If only there was a quick way to make money...Hmmm...

Regardless, I would like some feedback, because that's what cool people do, y'follow? Spiffy!

Preview:

As Naota searches the stars for his childhood "tormentor", Ninamori reflects on the time since it all happened, an incident that became known as "Martial Mechanica" as per the headline in the late Kamon's zine. Mamimi recieves distressing news from... Amarao!

--Stay Tuned!--


	2. Memory

'Ello 'ello! OS9 singing in! We've got quite a show today! It's spiffy!

To both of my reviewers (so far), THANK YOU! I pratically run off reviews. Can't keep typing without 'em.

Incidentaly, today's chapter involves the events after what I had dubbed "Martial Mechanica" (has a nice ring to it, don't it?) But anyway, I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: Unless my wildest dreams come true, there's no way I own FLCL.

The Search for Haruko

#2-A

Memory

"Oh my god!"

-"Osaka"

So he left. Just like that. Maybe I should have gone with him.

Too late now.

This is what I get for waiting too long.

But, Naota has changed. Ever since Haruko came. All he ever does is ride that scooter.

Well, at least now I know why. It flies. I guess I should have expected something like that to happen. It was Haruko's after all. But, it's still not fair, y'know. She left, and I didn't. Both of them left... But anyways...

...After MM was destroyed, we spent the better part of a year just fixing people's homes. It was tough, and Naota had a nasty fall at one point. Nearly put a nail through his foot. But I got him to the "Hospital" in time. Our hospital was really just a big tarp with poles to raise it above the ground, but that worked. He didn't die or get tetanus or some other kind of disease.

That wasn't even the difficult part. The press was swarming everywhere. Like insects. But I never saw anything from out of town. Not even Tokyo Morning News. Or those guys who investigate "supernatural phenomina".

It's like the world ends outside Mabase.

Naota and I, we had fun. They were good times. Hard ones, but good. I even thought he kinda liked it when I dragged him to school. I never did ask him to be in another play, though. Oh well.

No use just sitting around whining.

Ninamori got up. She had been lying in the grass, by the river. Naota had always hung around near there. It lended her a bit of comfort. Now, of course, it was just a force of habit. Walking through the town and looking idley at the various forms of reconstruction, consisting of everything from steel to cardboard, she wondered what happened to Sameji.

Mamimi roamed the city, looking for interesting things to photograph. It was her favorite part of town, the industrial area that had been under construction for over three years. Yesterday she had gotten a great shot of the city after climbing the girders. The sun hadseemed to hang in place as it waited for her to photograph it's setting. She was sitting on one of the more complete areas, in that it had a stable floor, and was eating curry picked up from a guy and his cart.

A crunching sound could be heard, as someone walked over the remains of Firestarter, which Mamimi had thrown away upon arriving. It had made a great picture, falling through the air.

The owner of the foot, a man with absurdly large eyebrows, looked, and seeing Sameji, climbed the steel frame untill he was level with her.

Mamimi turned. The curry dropped, falling down three stories to the dirt and gravel below. Amarao stood solemly. He looked at her sternly and said

"Where is Naota?"

A name Mamimi had not heard in a long time.

"I don't know."

"That's fine, I was just wondering if you knew."

"What."

"He's gone. Naota went to find Haruko."

"How...?"

"The Vespa."

"Haruko?"

"No, the scooter, not the woman."

"It flies?"

"Yeah. Naota figured out how to use it. He's gotten himself in a bit of trouble in the Outer Rim."

"Outer..."

"Doesn't matter. Do you know where Canti is? Ninamori?"

"Have they left too?"

"No, it was a real question."

"Then...Mabase?"

"Sounds right." He turned to leave "Are you coming?"

"No."

"Suit yourself. Then take this." Amarao tossed her a small black square. "You can call Canti with it. If you ever change your mind."

As Amarao left, Mamimi stared at the small object. Holding it out, she let it slide through her fingers, down to the ground. With the curry, and Firestarter.

#2-A END

Lotsa talkin'. But perhaps it explains a few things. For those of you symbolic types, the last few sentences are very important. I appreciate reviews and reviewers, so review me. It's the cool thing to do. Next chapter Amarao meets up with Ninamori and Canti. Space travel ensues. Naota reappears in the story. Many things happen.


End file.
